cracked up

Last night, the boys and I were watching Family Guy together and goofing off. My kids crack me up. Both boys are able to combine typical sophomoric boy humor with some pretty adult thinking. It’s fun to hang out with them and listen to them crack on each other and crack on me.

When we’re being silly, they sometimes forget I’m the momma. Last night was one of those times. My 11 year old was on the phone with a friend from Oxford.

Me: Is that your girlfriend?

11: No it’s I.

Me: So it is your girlfriend.

Takes a moment to register

11: quick flick of middle finger. Then wide eyes and open mouth when he realizes he just flipped his mother off. Then bright red cheeks and so much laughter he had to hang up the phone.

Me: Um. Did you forget I’m the momma?

11: giggle. giggle. giggle.

15: Dude, you’re stoopid.

11: I can flip you off so you better shut up.

Then the threats of farting on each others’ faces began and it all went downhill.

Pretty much the perfect night. Stupid boys.

(not so) Sweet Dreams

Do you ever have a night where you feel like you dream the entire time? I did last night. Most of the night, my dreams were good. Comforting, happy, fun. I would wake after one of those dreams with a big smile on my face, drift off, and dream again.

I love those nights.

But, this morning I woke a little after 5 and when I drifted off again, my dreams went from comforting to scary.

I was driving a maroon car. I think it was something like a Dodge Charger (which is funny for several reasons, one being ME? IN A DODGE CHARGER? REALLY? LOL) I think I was delivering something for my job and suddenly a big car full of men was behind me. And they were shooting at me.

Being the ace driver that I am, naturally, I got away. But I was freaking out. WTF did this gang want with me? What had I done?

I pulled the giant car down a cobblestone street (probably pedestrian only knowing me and my ace driving skills) and thought I was hidden pretty well. But of course, they found me. I revved up the car and punched it, only to get stuck between a tree and a building. (see? Totally an ace driver)

I jump out the back and lay low behind the giant tree trunk while the gang of miscreants empties their automatic weapons into the car. Luckily they didn’t see me escape, so they think they’re killing me off.

Just then, a dude pulls up behind me, grabs me, and pulls me into his car. He whisks me off like some kinda super hero. He tells me his name is Jackson (why I remember this, I don’t know. Maybe he was Action Jackson?) and he needs to take me to see someone.

We go to an old apartment building that looks condemned, he knocks, and Laurence Fishburne opens the door. Suddenly I’m feeling a bit like Neo from the Matrix. Like maybe I’m the chosen one or something. Fishburne welcomes me into his very beautifully decorated home, sits me down, and Jackson tells him the story.

Just as I’m starting to relax, the miscreants find me. And I wake up.

I did a little googling this morning to see what the hell all that meant. Chasing dreams indicate stress. Okay, I can see that. To dream you’re being shot at suggests a confrontation in your waking life. Alright. Not so far off. Being rescued represents an aspect of yourself that has been neglected or ignored and that you are trying to express this neglected part of yourself. Hmmm.

Funny how the subconscious works.

Do you have any weird or recurring dreams? Have you ever tried to figure out what they mean or do you just chalk it up to weird brain waves and move on?

summertime

Summer is hands down my favorite season. People tend to complain about the heat and humidity, and yes, sometimes even I get a little too hot (heh, as if being too hot is a real problem) but the fact is, I love summer.

As a little girl, my daddy would take me camping for 2 weeks at a time. I remember pitching the tent, building fires, losing my fishing poles in the lake. (was devastated the year I lost my Snoopy rod. I mean, it was MY SNOOPY ROD AND REEL FOR CRISPIES’ SAKE!)

I still love to camp, but I prefer to do it in the fall months. Even if the heat and humidity doesn’t melt me, the inside of a tent tends to bake me somewhat. I’m too old for that now.

My parents have a place on Lake Ouachita and we go quite often. We’re all about drifting on the pontoon boat, partaking in a few beverages, soaking up the vitamin d and just enjoying the day. The video below is exactly what I love about summer. This is what we do…minus the girls on the stripper pole. Not that I’m opposed to girls on stripper poles…it’s just not something my 15 year old son is quite ready for!

What is your fave season? And what is the one thing you love most about summer?

miss me?

Of course you did. I’m back, and I’m at Fictionistas blogging about my playlist for BITE ME! pop over and read about it, check the playlist out at my new site, and then enjoy the variety of the list with a few videos from the playlist below…

do you hulu?

Hulu.com is God’s gift to a TV addict like me. Well, next to the DVR (Dear Lord, Thank you for the DVR. You have forever changed the way I watch TV. Amen.)

Admittedly, I watch way too much TV. And now with the new trend of between season series and summer series, I really could watch TV all day every day.

But I don’t.

Some of my DO NOT MISS/ ALWAYS RECORD SHOWS are:

  1. How I Met Your Mother
  2. Big Bang Theory
  3. 2 1/2 Men
  4. Gossip Girl (srsly. Did not like the books, but damn this is hands down one of my favorite shows ever.)
  5. The Mentalist
  6. Castle
  7. Ugly Betty
  8. Life (which I’ve heard is cancelled and I’m devastated.)
  9. Friday Night Lights
  10. Brothers and Sisters & The Unit (these two show conflict so I have to record one and watch the other.)

The shows I like, but sometimes forget to record but always go back and watch on the computer if available are:

  1. Grey’s Anatomy
  2. The Practice
  3. Any Law & Order
  4. NCIS
  5. Without a Trace
  6. Desperate Housewives
  7. Family Guy
  8. American Dad
  9. Lie to Me
  10. Survivor

Shows that I want to see, but really, how could I possibly spend more time watching TV so I’ll probably just HULU them…

  1. Supernatural
  2. Veronica Mars
  3. The Hills
  4. 90210 (I started watching but lost interest, but am curious to see what they were going to do with the new group of kids)
  5. My Name is Earl

Shows that I won’t miss but aren’t regular season shows:

  1. Big Love
  2. True Blood
  3. Mad Men
  4. Starter Wife
  5. The Riches (is it coming back? I loved this show!)
  6. Burn Notice
  7. Psych

And new shows that I’m trying or looking forward to trying:

  1. Mental (watched last night. Liked it a lot)
  2. Glee (cute, not sure it’s a keeper for me.)
  3. Royal Pains

I’m sure I’ve missed something. What’s on the list that you’ve seen and liked? Didn’t like? And am I the only addict in the internetz?

whew!

Okay, so the website is launched and I am happy. Mega-thanks to Fishdog for working like mule to get it done. Hey guys, don’t forget you can download some fun wallpapers for your cellphones!

In case you missed it, yesterday over at Lucienne Diver’s blog, we had dueling vamps going with our two heroines. Today fellow Arkansas author Stacey Jay will be taking on the zombie side of vampires vs. zombies. (As if there really is a competition. I mean zombies are gross. And rotting. How could zombie-breath be even remotely sexy?) Stop by and check things out today.

This is the last week of school for #2 son and then we’re onto our summer schedule. And by summer schedule I mean sleeping late, going to Wild River Country every day and movies every weekend. When we’re not at the lake. Tough life for a kid, huh?

Anything going on this week that I need to know about? Anything fun or exciting?

new stuff!

Today is a special day. Lucienne Diver allowed AJ Ashe the star of BITE ME! to answer a few questions on her blog today. Stop by to see what makes my teen vamp a little different from Gina Covello, the center of attention in Lucienne’s book, VAMPED.

If you’re on Facebook, please join my author page:

Melissa Francis’s Facebook Page
Melissa Francis's Facebook Page
Promote Your Page Too

And please join my book group: Have You Been Bitten?

Also, today is my day to blog at Fictionistas, but basically it’s the same blog as here because I’m in total pimp mode….

And finally…today’s the big day. We’re launching my book website. It should be up and active around noonish central time. Stop by for fun downloads, a quiz, information on how the book came to be, and a maybe even a few pics of me from high school…bookmark it because very soon, we’re going to be hosting a contest that you will definitely want to participate in. Two very nice big prizes.

Trust me.

Have You Been Bitten? (http://www.haveyoubeenbitten.com)

Don’t worry, I’m not abandoning you here. This will still be my daily blog and author info site. But HaveYouBeenBitten is all about the books…

Happy Monday. Hope your weekend was fabulous!

quiz day


You Are Very Passionate


You tend to be a very social person. You live for your friends and family. You can get social burnout occasionally though. You aren’t a total extrovert.

You fall in love with ease and confidence. Even if you’ve had bad experiences in the past, each new love is a reason to start completely over.

You are a passionate person. You are free wheeling, fun loving, and ruled by your emotions.

Your sense of humor is goofy and silly. You are good at making almost anyone laugh.